'SOUL MUSIC arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form for funky, secular testifying.' - Otis Redding.

'SOUL MUSIC is pain - you can hear the slaves, the beatin' and hurtin'.' - Link Wray.

WELCOME to the latest instalment of our 'Adventures in UK Club Land' exploring the 'Club Beat' - the roots of R&B, Ska, Gospel, Jazz, Blues, Mod and, in this chapter, SOUL.

Pre '63 the term 'Soul music' was not in use as a genre defining expression. Artists might be described as 'soulful' such as Chuck Jackson, Baby Washington or the Impressions (featured here), although hardly household names at the time. Even our opening act, the mighty Supremes, were little known over here and, in fact, were jokingly referred to as the non-hit Supremes in their own country. It wasn't until a year or two later, '64-'65, that Soul music really established itself. By then America had, by and large, stopped making traditional R&B, and in the U.K. nobody wanted to hear home-grown R&B-styled white acts, Motown had arrived and Soul music ruled the day.

Soul music today is firmly entrenched in popular culture and we hope you enjoy our retrospective of the sounds that set the Soul template.